June 3/01 11:20 am - NORBA #1 Short Track Story and Results

BIG BEAR LAKE (Calif.), 2 June, 2001 - USA Olympian Alison Dunlap and Canada's Ryder Hesjedal emerged triumphant from thrilling races featuring the world's top competitors in the Short Track Cross Country discipline of the Chevy Trucks NORBA National Championships Mountain Bike Series at Snow Summit Mountain Resort on 2 June, 2001. The Chevy Trucks NORBA series consists of five rounds, coast to coast, of mountain bike racing, and is the premier off-road cycle racing series in the USA.

The Short Track Cross Country was contested on a half-mile course, with the distance set at 20 minutes, plus three laps, amounting to 13 laps/6.5 miles for the women and 15 laps/7.5 miles for the men. Weather was sunny and windy, with temperatures in the 70s.

Women

The winner of the 2000 Short Track Cross Country series, Argentina's Jimena Florit, San Diego, Calif (RLX Polo Sport), set a fast early pace, and Alison Dunlap, Colorado Springs (Team GT), was forced to chase hard after starting from the third rank in the grid.

Florit launched a series of attacks and after 15 minutes of racing broke free to ride in a solo lead for several laps. Dunlap jumped across the gap to join her, and Grigson made an attempt to do the same one lap later but was unable to make contact with the two leaders.

The race boiled down to a battle between Florit and Dunlap, and on the final lap Dunlap sprinted early to arrive first at the top of a key climb, some 400 yards from the finish. A winding descent with many sharp turns made passing impossible, and Dunlap was delighted to take the win, a full bike's length ahead of Florit. Grigson came in third, 13 seconds back.

For Dunlap, this win made up for a slightly disappointing ride in the Cross Country race on June 1, in which she finished second. "I had to make up for yesterday," she quipped in a post-race interview.

Men

A powerful men's field of 52 remained intact only for only four laps until Ryder Hesjedal, Victoria, BC (Subaru Gary Fisher) sprinted clear of the strung-out group and embarked on what appeared to be a suicidal attack. With a strong breeze blowing it was more difficult for a solo rider than a bunch of cyclists.

Pavel Cherkasov, Russia (Subaru Gary Fisher) worked hard for four laps to control the chasing group of 13 riders, which included Cross Country Mountain Bike World Cup leader Roland Green, Victoria, BC (Trek Volkswagen). But it was inevitable that Hesjedal would be caught.

Then the attacks started coming in rapid succession. Cherkasov went to the front and drove the pace for a few laps, and Hesjedal did his best to contain the chase, but Seamus McGrath, Millgrove, Ontario (Haro Lee Dungarees) and Bonilla would not let the Subaru Gary Fisher riders control the pack.

On the last lap a group of five climbed the all-important final ascent, with Cherkasov in the lead. McGrath jumped past the Russian and almost surprised Hesjedal, who was late to respond but surged past his tiring team-mate to challenge McGrath. With Green just behind, Hesjedal and McGrath dived neck and neck into the hard right-hander at the top of the climb and there was a clash of elbows and handlebars.

Hesjedal emerged in front for the final descent, and although McGrath never gave up it would have been practically impossible to pass his compatriot. Roland Green took third, making it a Canadian 1-2-3.

QUOTES

Women

1st. Alison Dunlap (Colorado Springs - Team GT) "I love the Short Track. I knew I would be going for the win, but you never know how your legs will feel. "When I jumped across to catch her (Florit) I was seeing stars.""I suffered, it's hard starting towards the back (of the bunch)." Jimena (Florit) was strong today, I was very impressed, I struggled to stay with her."

2nd Jimena Florit, Argentina, (RLX Polo Sport)"I just felt good and wanted to take advantage of my form. I was glad when Alison Dunlap came up to me, it was too windy to be alone.""It was good to ride with Alison, I can learn from her - I am such a fan of hers!""The last lap was the whole race. It was 'who gets to the top of the climb first' but she (Dunlap) had the same idea and was just faster than me!"

3rd Mary Grigson, Australia, (Subaru Gary Fisher)"Jimena rode really well, I was glad she got second, she really deserved it. I was a bit slow off the mark, but that's typical for me - this is not an event I ever thought I'd be good at, so I'm pleased with third place."

Men

1st Ryder Hesjedal, Victoria, BC (Subaru Gary Fisher) "I knew I would be able to ride strong, I wasn't over my limit when I got the gap, and I knew if they didn't close it I would have an easy win. "On the last lap I knew I had the legs to win it. I went past Pavel Cherkasov and thought: 'there's still kind of room (to pass McGrath at the tight corner)"2nd Seamus McGrath, Millgrove, Ontario (Haro Lee Dungarees) "I decided to wait until the end of the race before making a move. I wasn't worried with Ryder out in front, I knew he'd come back. "When we went into the last downhill I was surprised to see Ryder suddenly there by me, I though he was four or five riders back."I was a bit disappointed, but that's racing - he (Hesjedal) made a great move."

3rd Roland Green, Victoria, BC (Trek Volkswagen) "I really enjoy this format of racing: it's tough and there's no room for mistakes. (On the final descent) "I was just behind them (Hesjedal and McGrath), looking for a line to get through, but there was no opening. When I saw them hook up I thought they may go down, but they managed to keep it upright."